geoharvey

Opinion:

¶ “2024 Tesla Next-Generation Vehicle Should Sell For $12,500 After US Tax Credit” • Paul Fosse explains why Tesla’s the next generation car will be much less expensive than expected. His calculations show that Tesla can make a compact EV in Mexico or the US for $16,000 and sell in the US for $20,000, with people  getting a full $7,500 tax credit. [CleanTechnica]

Tesla factory (Tesla image)

Science and Technology:

¶ “NanoFlocell Wants To Sell Flow Battery Cars In The US” • In the past, flow batteries were too bulky and heavy to be of much use for EVs, but that’s changing. A new concept from nanoFlocell is a sports car called the Quantino 25. Its flow battery will take it from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 2.5 seconds. And it has a range 1,200 miles! [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Experts Push For Crop Diversification To Deal With Climate Change” • The need for crop diversification to deal with climate change and enhance the nutritional value of food was stressed by experts at a workshop at Dr Yashwant Singh Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry in India. They cited a need for broad agreement on climate change. [The Statesman]

Rice paddy (Pan Species, Unsplash)

¶ “Ocean Warming And Acidification Have Major Ramifications For Marine Food Web” • Ocean warming and acidification driven by climate change cause declines in nutritional quality of some marine organisms, disrupting the ocean food web, according to a study from an environmental science institute at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. [The Fish Site]

World:

¶ “Manchester To Double Its Double Decker Electric Bus Fleet” • In September Greater Manchester’s new Bee Network showed the first of fifty double decker buses it was getting for the region around Manchester. Now, Transport for Greater Manchester has the experience it needs to give Alexander Dennis Limited an order for fifty more. [CleanTechnica]

New Flyer double decker bus (New Flyer image)

¶ “Open The Floodgates! Record Electric Car Sales Month In Germany – 22% Of New Cars Fully Electric” • It seems the German automotive market has bottomed out and is back on a growth path. November brought a surprising 31% increase in sales. Much of this growth can be attributed to plugins, as sales of full EVs grew 44% year over year. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “China Electric Car Sales: 25% Fully Electric, 35% Have A Plug!” • Despite a drop in the overall Chinese auto market, plugin vehicles continue to rise. They grew 50% year over year in November. They scored over 625,000 registrations last month, their second best month ever, only behind last September when they hit 636,000 registrations. [CleanTechnica]

BYD Song Plus (Zotyefan, CC-BY-SA 4.0, cropped)

¶ “Serbia Is To Launch Auctions For 1,400 MW Of Renewables” • Serbia intends to launch auctions for installation of renewable power plants of 1,400 MW in total, which will increase the country’s overall capacity to 2,000 MW. Minister of Mining and Energy Dubravka Đedović said the goal is to create a three-year plan for auctions. [Balkan Green Energy News]

¶ “Fresh German Turbine Order For Vestas” • Vestas received a 50-MW order to power an undisclosed wind project in Germany. The order includes a total of nine V150-6MW wind turbines at a hub height of 166 meters with some units delivered in 5.6-MW operating mode. Commissioning of the wind farm is scheduled in the fourth quarter of 2024. [reNews]

Wind turbine (Vestas image)

¶ “Enefit Green To Build Solar Farm At Estonian Mine” • Enefit Green plans to build a solar farm in an industrial area of Estonia. The project will have a capacity of nearly 3 MW and will be on a platform made of rocks. The 27-meter-high structure was built for the solar park on a mine site from waste rock left over from oil shale extraction. [reNews]

¶ “Green Power Energy Solar Energy Plant Commissioned In Myanmar” • Green Power Energy announced that Myanmar’s latest solar energy plant, the 20-MW Taungdaw Gwin project, has been officially opened. The project was developed by Green Power Energy Company Limited, a subsidiary of Gold Energy Company Limited. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

Solar array (Green Power Energy image)

¶ “Shelling Damages Backup Power Line To Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant, IAEA Says” • A backup power line to Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant was disconnected due to damage caused by shelling, the International Atomic Energy Agency said. The plant is not operating, but it still needs power for cooling. [Radio Free Europe]

US:

¶ “Intel Committed To Greenhouse Gas Reduction And Circular Economy In 2022” • Earlier this year, we missed two news items from chip giant Intel. Taken alone, each sounds like a small news bite, a lot like what every large corporation is supposed to say these days. But, these two announcements fit together to be something bigger than that. [CleanTechnica]

Please click on the image to enlarge it. (Intel image)

¶ “‘The Brink Of Disaster’: 2023 Is A Critical Year For The Colorado River As Reservoirs Sink Toward ‘Dead Pool’” • After decades of overuse and human-caused climate change, demand for the Colorado River’s water vastly outpaces its supply. Officials must find a way to keep the largest manmade reservoirs in the US filled to at least minimum levels. [CNN]

¶ “How Ocean Wind Power Could Help The US Fossil Fuel Industry” • The Biden administration is proposing offshore wind farms in the Gulf of Mexico. They could provide electricity for 3.1 million homes in Texas and Louisiana. But industry is eyeing their potential to power oil refining, steel, fertilizer manufacture, and other industrial processes. [The Guardian]

Have an utterly delightful day.

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Opinion:

¶ “The Looming Winter Problem The Biden Administration Must Fix” • This winter, Americans are facing the steepest home heating prices in more than 10 years. With many already struggling to afford basic necessities like food and rent, higher energy bills mean some will be facing service disconnection, and a winter without heat. [CNN]

Gas meter (Doris Morgan, Unsplash)

Science and Technology:

¶ “Waste Heat From Data Centers Can Bolster District Heat Systems” • Globally, data centers are estimated to account for 1% to 2% of electricity. In Europe, they consumed about 3% of all the electricity. Those data centers create a lot of waste heat. Some of it could be repurposed to help heat buildings, and high gas prices now make that economical. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “The Seychelles Public Transport Corporation Is Getting 22 Electric Buses!” • The Seychelles Public Transport Corporation operates a fleet of about 250 buses. Most of them are diesel, and up to 20% of the country’s import bill is for diesel oil. As part of a broader National Electric Mobility Project, 22 electric buses will soon join the SPTC fleet. [CleanTechnica]

Buses (Courtesy of Seychelles Transport Ministry)

¶ “Seychelles Switches On 5-MW Solar PV Plus 5-MW, 3.3-MWh Battery Plant Developed By Masdar” • One of the few African countries where the access to electricity is 100%, is the Republic of Seychelles. About 80% of this is from diesel generators. To reduce the oil bill and CO₂ emissions, Seychelles installed a 5-MW solar PV plant with battery storage. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Renewable Power’s Growth Is Being Accelerated As Countries Seek To Strengthen Energy Security” • An IEA report says the global energy crisis is causing a sharp acceleration of renewable energy installations. The total capacity growth is expected to almost double over the next five years, overtaking coal as the primary generating source. [CleanTechnica]

Solar array (Markus Spiske, Unsplash)

¶ “Britain Generates Record Volume Of Renewable Electricity” • Renewable power sources generated 40% of the UK’s electricity in 2022, up from 35% in 2021, helping to cut CO₂ emissions from the power sector by 2.7 million metric tons from the previous year. Generation from renewables has more than quadrupled over the last decade. [Biomass Magazine]

¶ “Vestas Prototype Turbine Produces First Power” • Vestas’ prototype V236-15MW turbine has successfully produced its first electricity at the Osterild National test center in Western Jutland, Denmark. The 15-MW prototype will undergo an extensive test and verification program to ensure reliability before certification and the beginning of serial production. [reNews]

Vestas turbines (Image courtesy of Vestas)

¶ “Alberta Builds Robust Renewable Energy Sector” • Alberta is expected to add enough solar and wind energy in the next few years to exceed expectations of renewable energy supporters. The projects include the 466-MW capacity Lone Pine wind project, the 360-MW Solar Krafte development, and some large battery storage projects. [The Western Producer]

¶ “Bangladesh Bans Russian Vessel Carrying Nuclear Plant Parts” • The government of Bangladesh has denied entry to a Russian ship carrying parts for the new Rooppur nuclear power plant, the first facility of its kind in the nation. Russian state nuclear agency Rosatom chose to ship nuclear power plant components aboard a sanctioned cargo ship. [The Maritime Executive]

Rooppur 2 reactor construction (Rosatom image)

¶ “Russia’s Lavrov Claims ‘Irreversible’ Arms Race With Iran If Nuclear Deal Not Reached” • Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov claimed that Moscow supports the US and its Western allies in finding a nuclear deal with Iran. Lavrov claimed not securing a deal would lead “to escalation, an arms race, an open conflict with irreversible consequences.” [Fox News]

US:

¶ “FedEx Expands Electric Cart Routes In New York City” • When we talk about the “last mile” in delivery, there’s a part of that last mile that we often leave out: the last few yards. Packages don’t magically get from the van to the door.  It turns out that GM was able not only to help electrify that last mile, but also to electrify and better manage the last few feet. [CleanTechnica]

FedEx delivery cart (FedEx image)

¶ “California Bans Deceptive Self-Driving Claims” • False self-driving claims have been outlawed in California by Senate Bill 1398, which was recently signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom. The California DMV already had rules banning the false advertisement of self-driving cars. The new law provides a way to enforce that. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “DOE To Propose Efficient Transformer Rules” • The national average for energy lost in US grid transmissions is about 6%. New rules proposed by the DOE would reduce that amount, bolster the resiliency of America’s power grid, lower utility bills, and significantly decrease domestic CO₂ emissions by diversifying transformer core technology. [CleanTechnica]

Transformer (Robert Linder, Unsplash)

¶ “Developer Sues To Build Biomass Power Plant In Springfield” • After nearly 15 years battling to build a wood-burning power plant in Springfield, Massachusetts, the owner of a proposed biomass facility is suing the state’s Department of Environmental Protection for revoking its air quality permit. The suit is asking a judge to reinstate the license. [WBUR]

¶ “Coverage Of Climate Change In College Textbooks Headed In Wrong Direction” • Evidence is mounting fast of the devastating consequences of climate change, but college textbooks aren’t keeping up. A study found that most college biology textbooks published in the 2010s have less content on climate change than textbooks from the 2000s. [Tucson Sentinel]

Have an invigoratingly untroubled day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “See-Through Solar Windows Turn Houses Into Powerhouses” • An ordinary solar cell blocks sunlight from passing through. It’s a tricky feat to engineer one that performs the sustainability twofer of harvesting renewable energy while also lighting up an interior space with zero emission sunlight. But Patagonia now has them at its headquarters. [CleanTechnica]

Solar window (Ubiquitous Energy image)

¶ “Invisible Solar Panels For Pompeii And Other Historic Locations” • The Invisible Solar tiles are made from a polymer compound which allows the sun’s rays to filter through. The PV cells are integrated into it by hand and covered with a layer of the polymer compound. “We can also give it the look of stone, wood, concrete, and brick.” [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “Worst Drought ‘In Living Memory’ Threatens The World’s Olive Oil Supply” • Olive oil producers have been hit hard by this year’s heat and drought. Kyle Holland, a pricing analyst for oilseeds and grains at Mintec, a commodities data company, expects a “dramatic reduction” of between 33% and 38% in Spain’s olive oil harvest that begins in October. [CNN]

Olive grove (Kostas Morfiris, Unsplash)

¶ “Energy Giant ExxonMobil Sues EU To Block Energy Windfall Tax” • US energy giant ExxonMobil is suing the EU in a bid to force the bloc to scrap its new windfall tax on oil firms. A windfall tax is imposed on firms that benefitted from something they were not responsible for. ExxonMobil reported a quarterly profit of almost $20 billion in October. [BBC]

¶ “EU Market Outlook Says Solar Production Is Soaring” • Solar production has already made a real difference in the current EU energy crisis. Driven by dramatically reduced fossil fuel imports following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, solar production soared nearly 50% in the EU this year, after 27 EU nations added 41.4 GW of solar PV capacity. [CleanTechnica]

Solar array (GCL image)

¶ “BYD Atto 3 Voted Electric Family Car Of The Year 2023 By VAB” • The Flemish Automobile Club, VAB, holds a contest every year for the best family cars in different categories. It voted the BYD Atto 3 the Family Car of The Year 2023. Fifteen professional motoring reporters and 74 family jurors judged ten electric cars at the Zolder race circuit. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Neptune Energy, Ørsted, And Goal7 Are To Explore Powering Integrated Energy Hubs With Offshore Wind” • Neptune Energy announced it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Ørsted and Goal7 to explore powering new integrated energy hubs in the UK North Sea with electricity generated by offshore wind plants. [Neptune Energy]

Offshore windpower (Cassie Boca, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “UK Had Warmest Year On Record Due To ‘Human-Induced Climate Change,’ Met Office Says” • With just three days left, 2022 looks on course to break the record for the UK’s highest annual average temperature, breaking the previous record set in 2014. The top ten hottest years all occurred since 2002. Records have been kept since 1659. [iNews]

¶ “China Starts Work On Huge $11 Billion Desert Renewables Project” • China broke ground on an 80 billion yuan ($11 billion) renewables project in Inner Mongolia, part of a massive rollout of clean power to achieve the nation’s ambitious climate targets. The project, located in the Kubuqi Desert, will have 16 GW of capacity when completed. [Yahoo Finance]

Tourists in the Kubuqi Desert (Popolon, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “Ukraine: 213 Attacks On Power Infrastructure By Russia Spark Disaster Fears” • As many as 213 incidents of military actions on energy infrastructure such as thermal power plants, nuclear power plants and electricity substations were reported in Ukraine since Russia’s invasion on February 24, 2022, a study found. Such attacks could cause disasters. [Down To Earth]

US:

¶ “Tax Credit Confusion Could Create A Rush For Electric Vehicles In Early 2023” • As the new year begins, a number of popular electric vehicles, specifically some Tesla and General Motors models, could be eligible for $7,500 worth of tax credits they weren’t eligible for in 2022. But that eligibility may last only last a few months. [CNN]

2022 Chevy Bolt (GM image)

¶ “US Winter Storm Death Toll Rises As Bad Weather Drags On” • A powerful winter storm that slammed North America has claimed more lives in New York state, local officials say. At least 34 people have died in Erie County, which includes the city of Buffalo. The holiday weekend storm has killed at least 60 people in eight states. [BBC]

¶ “US Government Plans 5-Year Geoengineering Study” • In accordance with requirements created by Congress, the Biden administration is undertaking a 5-year study of geoengineering techniques and has issued a call for input. The study will include scientific assessments of solar climate interventions to address near-term climate risks. [CleanTechnica]

Solar intervention (Chelsea Thompson, NOAA, CIRES)
Please click on the image to enlarge it.

¶ “Oregon’s Largest Electric Utilities Are Missing Climate Benchmarks” • Oregon’s largest private electricity providers are dragging their feet when it comes to transitioning to renewable energy sources, a Sierra Club report found. Only one of the three Oregon utilities was found to be on track to meeta a goal of 80% clean electricity by 2030. [Missoula Current]

¶ “New York Plans 6 GW Of Energy Storage By 2030” • The state of New York has a new framework to achieve 6 GW of energy storage by 2030, which represents at least 20% of the peak electricity load of New York, the governor’s office announced. If approved, the plan will support a buildout of about $2 billiion worth of storage deployments. [T&D World]

Have a sufficiently plentiful day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Climate Change And Bomb Cyclones: What Do We Know?” • Inevitably, there will be politicians who use events like winter storms to argue that global warming is not happening. This worldview is wrong. Dangerously wrong. Falsely equating a ball of frozen water to “disproof” of global warming is a snowball of ignorance. [The Hill]

Winter weather (Marc Kleen, Unsplash)

¶ “Four Troubling Takeaways From New Massachusetts Climate Report” • The “Climate Change Assessment” is the first state-ordered, statewide study for Massachusetts. Four takeaways are summers like the South, premature deaths because of poor air quality, increased difficulty finding affordable housing, and loss of ecosystems. [Boston.com]

World:

¶ “Russia Bans Oil Sales To Countries Using Price Cap” • Russia has banned oil sales to countries and companies that comply with a price cap agreed by Western nations earlier this month. The price cap was taken up by the G7 group of nations, Australia and the EU. It prohibits countries from paying more than $60 (€56, £50) per barrel of Russian oil. [BBC]

Oil platform (Jan-Rune Smenes Reite, Pexels, cropped)

¶ “Divestment Year In Review 2022” • Environmental, social, and governance investments pose an existential challenge to the fossil fuel industry. 350.org explains the ways that the movement creates uncertainty about the long term financial viability of the industry and moves money away from dirty energy towards climate solutions. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “IKEA Adds SunRider’s Solar-Powered Cargo Bikes For Last Mile Deliveries To Reduce Home Delivery Climate Footprint” • IKEA says it’s challenging to keep last-mile services sustainable and cost-effective while meeting customers’ expectations. It had been using electric trucks for home delivery. Now it is also using solar-powered cargo bikes. [CleanTechnica]

SunRider solar-powered cargo bike (IKEA image)

¶ “Zimbabwe Wants To Fast-Track 27 Solar PV Projects Totaling 1,000 MW To Help Deal With Electricity Crisis” • Zimbabwe has an installed electricity generation capacity of about 2,300 MW, but there is a huge problem. The Zimbabwe Power Company’s thermal plants are very old and keep breaking down. It is taking up solar power as a remedy. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Pakistan’s Foray Into Renewable Energy” • Climate-induced calamities are one of the biggest driving forces behind the move towards alternative energy sources. The recent floods that swept through Pakistan inflicted an estimated $40 billion in damages. Moving towards green energy isn’t just a healthier option – it is also cost-effective. [The Express Tribune]

Solar panels in Pakistan (Ab PrinceGabol, CC-BY-SA 4.0, cropped)

¶ “Japan’s First Commercial Offshore Wind Farm Is Now Live” • Japan’s first offshore wind farm is now running, Electrek reports. It is made up of two parts, with a total of 33 Vestas 4.2 MW wind turbines. The 138.6-MW wind farm is a major milestone for the country’s transition to renewables. Japan is aiming to have 10 GW of offshore windpower by 2030. [Tech Times]

¶ “Spain Faces €8 Billion In Renewable Legal Claims Over Past Solar Boom” • In Spain, the coalition government has made championing renewable energy a key policy, but it faces claims from investors over an earlier green energy boom. They say they are owed millions over state incentives that were later withdrawn by Madrid. [Euronews]

Wind farm in Spain (FJavier GómezL, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “Kiev Calls For Sanctions Against Russian Nuclear Fuel” • Ukrainian Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko called for imposing sanctions against the Russian nuclear industry and avoiding its nuclear fuel, the Ukrainian Energy Ministry said. He stressed “the key role of solidarity of world leaders in countering Russian nuclear terrorism.” [UrduPoint]

US:

¶ “New Bill Promises $2500 Tax Credit For Off Road EVs” • Minnesota congressman Dean Phillips (D) has introduced a bipartisan bill co-sponsored by Rep Brian K Fitzpatrick (R) of Pennsylvania, to provide a $2500 tax credit for off-road EV purchases. It would provide a 10% federal tax credit on qualifying off-road EVs, capped at $2,500. [CleanTechnica]

Polaris off-road EV (Polaris image)

¶ “Micromobility Reduces Car Emissions More Than Previously Thought” • Research from Georgia Tech’s School of Public Policy shows that a scooter ban may ease sidewalk congestion and keep potential riders and pedestrians safer, but it has a price. The ban not only increased carbon emissions, but it increased travel times considerably. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “More Battery Storage Projects Coming To New York From JERA Americas And Zenobē” • Battery storage is growing fast. Both JERA Americas and Zenobē Americas, a leading EV fleet and battery storage specialist in the UK, have identified New York and New England as promising markets for the development of their battery business. [CleanTechnica]

Battery storage (Courtesy of Zenobē)

¶ “GM Keeps Its Promise As Cruise Arrives In Austin” • GM promised to have its Cruise self-driving taxi service running in three US cities by the end of 2022. This week, it has kept that promise with Cruise taxis operating in San Francisco, Phoenix, and (now) Austin. Tesla has promised to have self-driving taxis “next year” since 2016. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “JEA Eyes Solar Farms And New Natural Gas Plant In Coming Years” • The Sierra Club of Northeast Florida and the St Johns Riverkeeper were invitated by JEA to join discussions on how it will produce electricity in coming decades. They are urging use of more renewable energy and putting a stop on building power plant using fossil fuels. [Florida Times-Union]

Have a marvelously uncomplicated day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Calling Nuclear Fusion A Potential ‘Climate Solution’ May Undermine Actual Solutions” • On a practical, near-term level, nuclear fusion and climate change have almost nothing to do with each other. One remains in more-or-less scientific infancy, many years away from even a hint of usable form; the other gets more urgent by the day. [Grid News]

Corona mass ejection (NASA, Unsplash)

¶ “The War In Ukraine May Help The World Save Itself From Climate Ruination” • Two positive developments have resulted from Putin’s monstrous war in Ukraine. He has awakened Western nations to the essential nature of NATO. Much more important is that the war has shown the necessity of weaning the world off of fossil fuels. [The Hill]

¶ “Tennessee Has Massive Wind Energy Potential. Why Isn’t Anybody Talking About It?” • Wind power accounts for nearly half of all renewable energy in the US, but virtually all of it comes from outside the Southeast. Tennessee could make wind its dominant source of power, according to data analysis by the National Renewable Energy Lab. [WPLN News]

Wind turbines (Arteum.ro, Unsplash)

Science and Technology:

¶ “Puerto Rico’s Agriculture Solution To Climate Change” • Agroecology is a low-impact agricultural method. It protects biodiversity and soil quality by working with nature to produce food sustainably. Agroecology, initially ridiculed and labeled a hippy movement by universities and government officials, has spread across the territory. [Pasquines]

World:

¶ “Carbon Tracker Report: ‘Slipped Gear’” • Carbon Tracker’s recent report “Slipped Gear” analysed how twenty passenger vehicle makers align to the Paris Agreement and what their positions are for the automotive energy transition. It seens either the car makers have no highly visible plans for the transition or they have no plans at all. [CleanTechnica]

GreenWay charging, VW ID.4 (Courtesy of WysokieNapiecie.pl)

¶ “Tanzania Starts Filling The Julius Nyerere Dam For 2,115-MW Hydropower Plant” • Tanzania is now filling the Julius Nyerere Dam for the new 2,115-MW hydropower plant. The project cost is said to be about $3 billion. Tanzania has an installed capacity of around 1,600 MW. The new plant will see its installed capacity jump to about 3,700 MW. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Riga Soon Getting Its First Solaris E-Buses” • Rīgas Satiksme, a Latvian carrier, made another advancement toward e-mobility. The contract is for the delivery of 35 “Urbino 12” electric buses, with an option to add seventeen more. The basic contract has a total value of more than €19 million and should be completed within a year. [CleanTechnica]

Solaris e-bus (Courtesy of Solaris)

¶ “Britishvolt: Plans To Create 30-GWh Battery Gigaplant” • Electric vehicles will play an important role in establishing a sustainable future, but first, battery production must be updated so that it is environmentally friendly. Britishvolt provides an example of what this might look like with their new Gigaplant in Northumberland. [AZoM]

¶ “ESB Networks Connected 23 Renewable Projects This Year” • ESB Networks says it connected 23 large renewable energy projects to Ireland’s electricity network this year. The projects added 688 MW of green capacity to the network, enough to power around 350,000 homes. This, it said, is above all previous renewable energy connection records. [RTE]

Wind farm (Peggy Sue Zinn, Unsplash)

¶ “World Bank Group Financing West Africa Power Project” • The World Bank Group’s International Development Association is investing $311 million into an initiative designed to benefit electricity customers across West Africa. The project’s focus is to improve the pace of grid connections for renewable energy, and strengthen the regional power grid. [POWER Magazine]

US:

¶ “US Winter Storm Traps New York State Residents In Cars” • A New York state official said some people had been trapped in cars for more than two days during what was “probably” the worst storm of their lives. Up to 9 inches (23 cm) more of snow are expected in parts of the state through Tuesday, forecasts warn. Nationally, the storm has killed 56 people. [BBC]

Plowing snow (Sanne Knoops, Unsplash)

¶ “In Wisconsin, 49 Habitat For Humanity Homes To Be Solar Powered” • Thanks to their sustainable solar systems, 49 Habitat for Humanity homes in Wisconsin will have significant decreases in their energy costs. Cost-effective renewable energy is used in the initiative, which is to be run by the Midwest Renewable Energy Association. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Oregon Joins Other US States In Adopting The Life-Saving Advanced Clean Cars II Standards” • Oregon’s Environmental Quality Commission adopted rules to require all new passenger cars, trucks, and SUVs sold in Oregon to be zero emissions by 2035. The EQC is the rulemaking board for the Department of Environmental Quality. [CleanTechnica]

Charging an EV (Image courtesy of Forth)

¶ “Cities Begin To Question Minimum Parking Regulations” • According to The Guardian, Buffalo, New York, and Fayetteville, Arkansas, scaled back their minimum parking rules a few years ago and were astonished to find that developers rushed in to transform previously derelict buildings into shops, apartments, and restaurants. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “New Renewable Energy Facilities Underway In The Lone Star State” • Texas is known for its world-class oil and gas industry. While Texas Lt Governor Dan Patrick has set his goals for 2023 to build more natural gas facilities, Texas will also be getting several massive renewable energy facilities, some using using innovative technologies. [Brownwood News]

Have an abundantly remunerative day.

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Opinion:

¶ “How To Keep The Lights On In Extreme Winter Weather” • Extreme weather events, including severe winter weather events, are projected to become more common due to climate change. And as the temperature drops, the heat increases from the fossil fuel industry. Building a reliable grid that performs in extreme winter weather is imperative. [CleanTechnica]

Snow day (Patino Jhon, Unsplash)

Science and Technology:

¶ “Health Benefits Of Wind Energy Could Quadruple By Dialing Down Fossil Fuels” • The IEA’s new report demonstrates that in the vast majority of nations, utility-scale solar PV and onshore wind are the least costly solutions for new generating capacity. As we move away from fossil fuels, our health benefits, but it could benefit more with planning. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Solar Panels Go Perfectly With Pickup Truck Tonneau Covers” • Worksport doesn’t make EVs, but it does make tonneau covers for pickup trucks. They are the flat covers that go over truck beds to protect against loss, theft, and weather. Worksport has been busily getting solar panels integrated into tonneau covers. Soon, they will be ready to go to market. [CleanTechnica]

Solar-enabled tornneau cover (Courtesy of Worksport)

World:

¶ “The Making Of A Pumped Hydro Water Storage Battery In Switzerland” • The Nant de Drace pumped hydro facility, with a capacity to store 20 GWh of electricity, is now in operation high in the Swiss Alps near the border with France. It has been under construction for 14 years, and uses 18 km of tunnels cut into the Valais Alps. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Nation’s PV Growth, Exports Chase Demand” • China’s new PV installations grew 98.7% year-on-year to 58.24 GW during the first 10 months this year, as the country has actively promoted solar power development for some years. Exports hit a record high amid surging demand overseas, hitting $44.03 billion, up 90.3% year-on-year. [China Economic Net]

Solar energy (Raphael Cruz, Unsplash)

¶ “SA Winery First To Power With Solar Energy Stored In EV” • Joseph Evans, owner of Ballycroft Vineyard, Barossa Valley in South Australia, made history as the first person in the country to power his business using solar energy stored in his EV. A Nissan Leaf vehicle-to-grid system stores excess solar energy in the car’s battery to be used after sundown. [Energy Matters]

¶ “Seven Offshore Wind Farms Awarded Marine Area Consents” • Maritime area consents have been issued by Ireland’s Minister for Environment for seven offshore renewable energy projects. The projects may participate in the Offshore Renewable Energy Support Scheme 1, which is expected to procure approximately 2.5 GW of generating capacity. [Afloat]

Offshore wind farm at sunset (Pete Godfrey, Unsplash)

¶ “Russia’s Nuclear Energy Giant Expects 2022 Exports To Rise By 15%” • Russia’s state nuclear energy company Rosatom expects its exports to have increased by 15% this year, chief executive Alexey Likhachev said, according to the Russian newspaper Izvestia. He said Rosatom’s portfolio of foreign orders is set to remain stable at $200 billion. [Oil Price]

US:

¶ “Winter Storm Leaves At Least 37 Dead In The US. Residents In Western New York Remain Trapped Under Feet Of Snow” • The massive winter storm is still blasting much of the US with brutal winter weather. It has caused at least 37 deaths. Parts of western New York were buried by 43 inches of snow, leading to eleven ambulances being abandoned. [CNN]

Snow (Ali Inay, Unsplash)

¶ “Around 14,000 Customers Impacted After Substations In Tacoma Area Vandalized By Burglars” • About 14,000 customers in Puyallup and Graham, Washington, were affected by vandals who damaged three power substations belonging to Tacoma Public Utilities and Puget Sound Energy, police said. They seem not to have stolen anything. [CNN]

¶ “Why Are Some Of Electrify America’s Stations Failing In The Cold?” • In some recent videos, Out of Spec tested Electrify America stations in the recent cold weather. What they found was that at some local stations charging units didn’t work in 0°F (-18°C) temperatures. However, the problem does not seem to have been universal. [CleanTechnica]

Have a transcendentally practical day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “A Startup Says It Has Begun Releasing Particles Into The Atmosphere, In An Effort To Tweak The Climate” • In a highly controvercial move, a startup claims it has launched weather balloons that may have released reflective sulfur particles in the stratosphere, potentially crossing a barrier in the field of solar geoengineering. [MIT Technology Review]

Release of a NASA weather balloon in 1994 (public domain)

¶ “New Method Addresses Problem With Perovskite Solar Cells” • A new approach to manufacturing perovskite solar cells has addressed previous problems and yielded devices with high efficiency and excellent stability, researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) report in the new issue of the journal Science. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “November Carbon Emissions In Europe Lowest In 30 Years” • The Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air, tracks carbon emissions in Europe. It says November 2022 saw the lowest values for the month in the EU in at least 30 years for total CO₂ emissions, gas consumption, power sector CO₂ emissions, and power generation from fossil fuels. [CleanTechnica]

November CO₂ Emissions (CREA image)

¶ “South Africa: Fuel Tanker Explosion Kills At Least Ten Near Hospital” • At least ten people have been killed, and about forty injured, by a huge fuel tanker explosion near a hospital east of Johannesburg. The tanker, which was carrying liquid petroleum gas, appeared to have got stuck under a low bridge. It exploded as firefighters were working. [BBC]

¶ “Tesla Model Y Leads Italy’s BEV Market In November” • In Italy, over 121,000 cars were registered in November, up almost 14% year on year. Sales of ICE powertrains were stable, with sales of petrol-powered cars at 26.9% and diesels at 18.2% market share. Plugless hybrids reached 33.6%, up from 31.3%, and full electrics reached 4.2% market share. [CleanTechnica]

Tesla Model Y (Tesla image)

¶ “ReNew Signs 150-MW Renewables Agreement With Microsoft India” • ReNew Power, a major renewable energy-independent power producer in India and globally, announced that it has signed an agreement to supply 150 MW of renewable energy agreement with Microsoft India. It is one of the largest deals of its type in India. [Energy Digital Magazine]

¶ “Canada’s Hudson Bay Polar Bear Population Plummets As Climate Change Warms Arctic” • Canada’s Western Hudson Bay polar bear population fell 27% in just five years, according to a government report released this week, suggesting climate change is impacting the animals. The Government of Nunavut found a drop of roughly 50% from the 1980s. [Fiji Times]

Polar bear (Hans-Jurgen Mager, Unsplash)

¶ “UN Watchdog Sees Deal ‘Soon’ On Securing Ukraine Nuclear Plant” • International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi has been trying for months to stop the shelling around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. Now he says Russia and Ukraine are “making headway” on a deal, with an agreement expected “soon.” [POLITICO]

US:

¶ “How The US Dept Of Defense Is Shaping The Bioeconomy Of The Future” • Plastics and other synthetic materials made from coal, oil, and natural gas have been sidelining biobased products for decades, but the era of petrochemicals is coming to a close. A new, futuristic bioeconomy is beginning to take shape, and the US DOD is behind it. [CleanTechnica]

Crop in a greenhouse (Courtesy of the USAF)

¶ “US Winter Storm: Americans And Canadians Face Mass Outages On Christmas Day” • More than one million Americans and Canadians are facing Christmas Day without power as the massive winter storm continues. Nearly 250 million are affected. The storm that extends more than 2,000 miles (3,200km) from Quebec to Texas. [BBC]

¶ “Form Energy Picks Weirton, West Virginia, For Iron-Air Battery Factory” • Form Energy recently closed a $450 million funding round and said it would use some of that money to put up its first factory. It recently announced that it had chosen the former steel town of Weirton, West Virginia, as the site for what will be known as Form Factory One. [CleanTechnica]

Form Energy factory (Form Energy image)

¶ “Renewable Energy And Missed Connections – It’s All About The Electrical Grid” • The US has about 930 GW of clean energy capacity and 420 GW of storage waiting to be built. The problem is that most of the pending renewable energy and battery storage products can’t get connected to the electrical grid, so they aren’t getting built fast enough. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “In The End, Solar Power Opponents Prevail In Williamsport, Ohio” • Local opponents succeeded in killing plans for a solar array in rural Ohio. A 400-MW solar project of EDF Renewables is now one of the largest renewable energy projects in the US canceled because of resistance from nearby residents and their elected leaders. [ABC News]

Have an exceedingly jolly day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “Can Space-Based Solar Power Really Work?” • Solar power plants in space, exposed to constant sunshine with no clouds or air limiting the efficiency of their PV arrays, could have a place in future emissions-free infrastructure. But structures that beam energy to Earth in the form of microwaves would be difficult to build and maintain. [Space.com]

Concept of solar plant in space (International Electric Company)

¶ “NASA: Yes, It’s Freezing Cold. No, That Doesn’t Mean Climate Change Is A Hoax” • Temperatures in the US plummeted this week as a polar vortex descended across the country, but the National Aeronautics and Space Administration made sure to remind Americans that the Arctic outburst does not mean that climate change isn’t happening. [MSN]

World:

¶ “Giant LFP Battery Installed In Ningxia, China” • Enabling much more renewable energy to be added to the grid in high-wind and high-solar Ningxia, a giant energy storage system has been installed and connected to the grid. The 200-MW, 400-MWh is the “largest of its kind in China up to this moment,” Hithium Energy Storage says. [CleanTechnica]

Giant LFP battery (Courtesy of Hithium Energy Storage)

¶ “Canada Joins California, Oregon, Washington, And Vermont In Clean Transportation Push” • California started the push to phase out internal combustion vehicles in North America. Now, Canada has largely adopted the California regulatory model, as have the states of Oregon, Washington, and Vermont. Canada is launching a 75-day consultancy period. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “EV Charging Pole Dance Heats Up In Newcastle, Australia” • In Australia, EVX has a mission to enable more people with EVs on the roads by increasing the number of accessible and reliable EV charging solutions powered 100% by renewable energy. They offer practical day-to-day charging based on typical consumer parking behaviour. [CleanTechnica]

Pole-mounted EV charger (Courtesy of EVX)

¶ “Christmas in the UK Could Be ‘Greenest Yet’ From Renewable Energy Boost” • The 3 GW of capacity installed in the first nine months of of this year is enough to cook 1 billion pigs in blankets in air fryers or 3 million turkeys, providing a bird for every home in Scotland, the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy said in an email. [Yahoo Finance]

¶ “Ireland’s First Maritime Area Consents For Offshore Wind Energy projects” • The Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications Eamon Ryan TD, issued Maritime Area Consents to the first phase of seven offshore renewable energy projects, in what represents a significant milestone in the delivery of offshore wind in Ireland. [Government of Ireland]

Offshore wind farm (Nicholas Doherty, Unsplash)

¶ “The Only Nuclear Power Plant In Bulgaria Refused To Work On Russian Fuel” • In the tenth month of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, Bulgaria’s only nuclear power plant refused to operate on the fuel of the aggressor country. Westinghouse said it signed a 10-year contract for the supply of nuclear fuel for the power plant Kozloduy. [Odessa Journal]

US:

¶ “US Winter Storm Hits 200 Million Americans” • Some 200 million Americans are feeling the icy grip of a massive winter storm that has been linked to at least 12 deaths. On Friday, more than 1.5 million people lost power and thousands of flights were cancelled. The vast storm extends more than 2,000 miles (3,200 km) from Texas to Quebec. [BBC]

Stranded by snow (Todd Diemer, Unsplash)

¶ “Stranded Native Americans Burn Clothes For Warmth” • In South Dakota, Native American tribal leaders are appealing for urgent help as snowed-in communities run out of vital supplies in a winter storm. The Pine Ridge Indian Reservation has been buried in more than 30 inches (76 cm) of snow, but winds have stacked snow drifts 12 feet (3.6 meters) high. [BBC]

¶ “Mining Giant Albemarle Announces Advanced Lithium Tech Park In North Carolina” • The #1 provider in the world of lithium for EV batteries is Albemarle Corporation, based in Charlotte, North Carolina. In 2021, 41% of Albemarle’s revenue came from lithium. Now, Albemarle is doing more in the Tar Heel State to advance lithium production. [CleanTechnica]

Albemarle Technology Park (Albemarle Corp via PRNewsfoto)

¶ “Are Electric Cars Lowering Energy Bills In California?” • EVs have contributed $1.7 billion of revenue for just three utilities in California – Pacific Gas & Electric, Southern California Edison, and Sempra-owned San Diego Gas & Electric. And the $1.7 billion EVs provided over the past ten years have driven rates down for all customers. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “California Utility Electrifies 20% Of Its Fleet” • The Southern California utility company SDG&E has a goal of electrifying 100% of its fleet of vehicles by 2030. It has provided an update that it has now reached 20% and is on track for that 2030 target. SDG&E also has a goal of reaching net zero emissions by 2045, in line with California’s own goal. [CleanTechnica]

Charging station (Courtesy of San Diego Gas & Electric)

¶ “Community Solar Landfill Project In New Jersey Is A Win Times Four” • Landfill solar projects are very popular because they use land with little other value. The latest such project to get under construction is a 10-MW community solar landfill project in Southampton, New Jersey. It has been called “the largest solar landfill project in North America.” [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Nebraska Farms, Businesses Receive Federal Funding For Renewable Energy Systems” • The US Department of Agriculture will provide $2 million to Nebraska to build renewable energy systems at businesses and farms across the state. A total of 36 projects in Nebraska received funding through the Rural Energy for America Program, or REAP. [KPVI]

Have a sensationally serene day.

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Opinion:

¶ “We Need More Honesty On Nuclear Power’s Long Legacy Of Hazardous Waste” • We need more honesty about the fact that nuclear power inescapably generates large quantities of human-made, hazardous, radioactive waste, the worst of which will probably remain hazardous beyond the time that Homo sapiens has on the planet. [The Guardian]

Nuclear power plant (Lukáš Lehotský, Unsplash)

Science and Technology:

¶ “Solid Power And QuantumScape Begin Shipping Solid-State Batteries For Trials” • Solid Power has been chasing the solid-state battery dream for more than 5 years. It has relationships with BMW and Ford and said earlier this year it would begin supplying prototypes to manufacturers soon. Now that time has come, and automakers can test them. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Scientists Say 65% Of Antarctica’s Plants And Animals Could Disappear. Its Iconic Penguins Are Most At Risk” • It was only a matter of time before human-caused climate change and pollution reached Antarctica. Its pristine landscape is already changing, and new research shows most of the region’s plant and animal species are in trouble. [CNN]

Chinstrap penguins (Derek Oyen, Unsplash)

World:

¶ “Lucid Begins Deliveries In Europe Of Lucid Air With A Record 883-km Range” • The Lucid Air may be the most luxurious EV on the market. It is about to be released in a number of EU countries, so it got its official WLTP range this week, and that range is a record 883 kilometers (549 miles) on a full charge. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Five More EV Battery Stories Out Of China” • Growing EV adoption is built on the back of growing EV battery production, and there are lots of stories dealing with battery news. There are enough that plenty of EV battery stories get put on our writer story sheet and are left there, untouched. Here are five recent Chinese EV battery stories. [CleanTechnica]

CATL battery factory (CATL image)

¶ “Renewable Power Generation Increases In Scotland” • In Scotland, generation of renewable electricity rose by more than 50% in the last quarter of 2022, according to an Energy Statistics for Scotland report. And over the first nine months of the year, renewable generation was up 34.7% compared to the same period the year before. [insider.co.uk]

¶ “How Volkswagen Transformed From A Climate Cheater To An EV Leader” • In 2015, the US EPA charged Volkswagen Group with installing software in its diesel cars to cheat on emissions tests. Volkswagen eventually payed some $30 billion in fines and damages. Now, just a few years later, the company is considered a clean vehicle leader. [CleanTechnica]

Volkswagen ID.4 (Courtesy of Volkswagen)

¶ “Egypt’s Renewable Power Deals Put At $118 Billion” • Egypt signed renewable energy production agreements with a number of foreign firms in November with a total value of nearly $118 billion, the Arabic language daily Addustour said. The accords, covering solar, hydrogen, and other renewables, will turn Egypt into a major renewable energy power. [ZAWYA]

¶ “Japan Flips Nuclear Policy, Proposes Building New Plants” • The Fukushima disaster of 2011 soured Japan on nuclear energy, leading the country to rely more on imported fossil fuels and less on nuclear. But aiming to hit net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, the government announced a reversal on its nuclear strategy, the country’s national broadcaster said. [CNET]

Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear plant (D a, CC-BY-SA 2.0, cropped)

US:

¶ “It’s Freezing. Cranking Up The Heat Is Going To Cost You” • Experts have warned home that heating costs would jump this winter to the highest level in more than a decade. Now, just as it gets increasingly expensive to keep a home warm, a “once-in-a-generation” winter storm sweeping across the nation will force Americans to crank up the heat. [CNN]

¶ “US Winter Storm Will Bring Frostbite Within Minutes” • In much of the US and Canada, plunging temperatures can lead to frostbite on bare skin in only five to 10 minutes, experts warn. The National Weather Service said temperatures of -50°F (-45°C) and -70°F were possible by the end of this week in some parts of the US (though not in the Northeast). [BBC]

Pug keeping warm with extra layers (Matthew Henry, Unsplash)

¶ “One Of The Largest Economic Development Stories In Georgia History” • South Korea’s Hyundai Motor Group and SK On finalized a site in Georgia for another EV battery factory. That may seem boring, but it turns out that this investment is expected to be one of the largest economic development stories in the history of Georgia. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Tesla Offering $7500 Rebate And Free Supercharging” • Some of us who might buy a Tesla woke up to a surprise this morning – an email telling them about new features and announcing some new incentives if you take delivery of a new Model 3 or Model Y by December 31. Buyers do not need to wait until January to benefit from a federal incentive. [CleanTechnica]

Tesla Model Y (Moritz Kindler, Unsplash)

¶ “Huge Renewable Energy Purchase By Ford Ok’d By Michigan Utility Regulators” • Michigan utility regulators okayed Ford’s plans to make US history’s largest purchase of renewable energy from a utility. The state’s Public Service Commission approved a 35-year contract between DTE Energy and Ford for 650 MW of dedicated solar electricity. [MLive.com]

¶ “New Study Shows Benefits Of Added Renewable Energy Capacity In New England” • Adding renewable capacity in New England will lower energy market prices and give comsumers significant cost savings, a study showed. It analyzed market and environmental benefits of 1,200 MW of land-based renewable capacity for the region. [Daily Energy Insider]

Have a simply resplendent day.

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Opinion:

¶ “The Best Solar Generators In 2022” • Solar generators are safer to store and use than gas generators and far simpler to maintain. People are increasingly conscious of the threat of emergencies, and solar makes sense for preparedness. CNN tested thirteen devices to see which device could reliably provide the most power with the least fuss. [CNN]

Bluetti EB70S (Bluetti image)

¶ “The EPA’s New Truck Rule Is A Modest Step. What’s Needed Is A Giant Leap” • While the rule will no doubt reduce emissions from the fossil-fuel-powered fleet, it is a missed opportunity. In punting to next year a rulemaking that could electrify the freight sector, EPA ignored the desperate requests of the communities burdened by freight pollution. [CleanTechnica]

Science and Technology:

¶ “Climate Change Could Be Driving Bomb Cyclones And Unstable Polar Vortex” • Warming in the Arctic has disrupted the movement of air around the North Pole. Usually, cold air in the Arctic is contained in the Arctic circle by a ring of fast-moving air that circles the North Pole, called the stratospheric polar vortex. That has changed with the climate. [Newsweek]

Polar vortex (National Science Foundation, public domain)

World:

¶ “EU Solar Shines Bright In Stunning Year” • The EU has reportedly added a record 41.4 GW of solar power in 2022. The new capacity is equivalent to the power needs of 12.4 million European homes. In essence, the new solar capacity replaces 102 LNG tankers. Annual EU solar power growth has increased by 47% from 28.1 GW in 2021. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Porsche Begins Production Of E-Fuels In Chile” • Porsche announced that it is producing synthetic e-fuels in cooperation with Chile’s Highly Innovative Fuels at a facility near the Strait of Magellan. The synthetic e-fuel can be transported all over the world, just as traditional fuels are, and it can be distributed using the existing infrastructure. [CleanTechnica]

Porsche e-fuels facility in Chile (Courtesy of Porsche)

¶ “Star Of The South Moving Forward In Australia” • With a change in the federal government, we are finally seeing some decisions made about offshore wind. Ideally situated between Victoria and Tasmania, Star of the South has been discussed for years, as it has the potential to supply up to 20% of Victoria’s electricity while creating jobs. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “50Hertz And Skyborn Award OST-6-1 Platform Job” • 50Hertz and Skyborn have awarded platform orders for the OST-6-1 grid connection for the 927-MW Gennaker offshore wind project in the German Baltic Sea. The cable route to the new transformer station will be around 90 km long, of which over 50 km will be submarine cables on the Baltic Sea floor. [reNews]

Platform (50Hertz image)

¶ “Low Carbon Energy ‘Generating Most UK Power This Winter’” • Low-carbon power is generating most of Britain’s electricity this winter, RenewableUK reports. Between 31 October and 18 December, renewables and nuclear combined provided 54% of the UK’s electricity. Renewables generated 40% and nuclear 14% during the seven-week period. [reNews]

¶ “Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners Buys Queensland Renewables-Plus-Storage Hub Development” • A renewable energy hub in Queensland with a 750-MW, 12-GWh pumped hydro plant, has been acquired by Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners. It is claimed to be North Australia’s “largest renewable baseload energy project.” [Energy Storage News]

Genex pumped hydro site (Genex Power image)

¶ “IAEA’s Grossi To Visit Russia For Talks On Zaporizhzhya Safety Zone” • The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, is visiting Russia for discussions on the creation of a security zone around the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant, the RIA Novosti news agency reported, citing Russia’s envoy in Vienna. [Radio Free Europe]

¶ “Japanese Panel Approves Return To Nuclear Power As Disaster Memories Fade” • Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s advisory panel approved a plan to extend the lifespans of nuclear reactors beyond 60 years and build new units to replace those that are decommissioned, reversing policies adopted after the Fukushima disaster in 2011. [The Japan Times]

Fukushima plant after disaster (Digital Globe, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

US:

¶ “Latest Federal Spending Bill Gives A Christmas Gift To Maine Lobster Industry” • A provision of the new budget bill appears to give the lobster industry back what a federal court took away. It would give the National Marine Fisheries Service until 2028 to issue new rules aimed at reducing right whale injuries and deaths associated with lobster gear. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “First Batch Of VinFast EVs Arrives In California And Are Cleared For Selling” • The first batch of 999 VinFast VF8s and VF9s has arrived in California. The VinFast plant in Hai Phong, where the cars were made, was built in just 21 months. It features its own paint and press shops, an assembly line with over 1,200 robots, and a testing facility. [CleanTechnica]

VinFast Vessel arrives in San Francisco (Courtesy of VinFast)

¶ “BOEM Releases Draft EIS For New England Wind” • The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has released the draft Environmental Impact Statement Avangrid’s Park City and Commonwealth Wind projects. Together called New England Wind, the projects are to be sited off Massachusetts and have a combined capacity of over 2000 MW. [reNews]

¶ “SDG&E Breaks Ground On New Clairemont Microgrid Project” • San Diego Gas & Electric hosted a groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate a microgrid project in Clairemont that will help store renewable energy for critical infrastructure in the local community. It is one of four microgrids being constructed in San Diego County. [The San Diego Union-Tribune]

Have a significanty splendid day.

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World:

¶ “Gridworks To Invest $50 Million In Virunga Power To Ramp Up Run-Of-River Hydro Projects In African Countries” • A UK government-backed investor in Africa’s electricity networks, Gridworks, says that its focus is to create development impact by connecting Africa’s people and businesses to reliable, affordable, clean power. [CleanTechnica]

Small hydro project (Microhydro image)

¶ “25% Of New Car Sales Now Electric In The Netherlands!” • The Dutch auto market grew 2% in November, to almost 28,000 registrations, but the local plugin vehiclemarket was down by 8% year over year. Pure electrics, which were down 9% year over year, represented 25% of all new vehicle sales. Plugin hybrids were down 6% in November. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “It’s For Real: Wireless EV Charging For Germany’s Famous Autobahn” • Germany’s Autobahn public roadway system is to get its first wireless EV charging system. The first vehicle to use the system will be an electric bus ferrying passengers into the city of Balingen, in the southwest of Germany. The system is to reduce the need for large batteries. [CleanTechnica]

Embedding a wireless EV charging system (Courtesy of Electreon)

¶ “Egypt’s Renewable Energy Production Put At 10.08 GW” • The Egyptian renewable energy production peaked at nearly 10.08 GW in 2022, accounting for around 29.6% of the total energy mix, official data shows. Total electricity output is estimated at 33.8 GW and output is set to rise sharply as projects signed over the past months are completed. [Zawya]

¶ “Charting Singapore’s Energy Transition” • The surging prices for natural gas led to six electricity retailers exiting the Singapore market. To help tide over the volatile energy prices, the Energy Market Authority, a public agency under the Ministry of Trade and Industry, responsible for the energy supply of Singapore, was quick to intervene. [Earth.Org]

Singapore (Peter Nguyen, Unsplash)

¶ “Non-Fossil Energy Capacity To Touch 500 GW By 2030” • The installed electricity capacity of India includes 172.72 GW from non-fossil fuel sources as on October 31, 2022, according to the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. It added that it is working towards achieving 500 GW of capacity from these sources by 2030. [The Financial Express]

¶ “Governments Strike $7.8 Billion Deal To Connect Snowy 2.0 And NSW Renewable Zones To The Grid” • New South Wales’s renewable energy zones and the Snowy 2.0 hydro project will be plugged into the grid under a A$7.8 billion agreement between the federal and NSW governments. The federal government has committed A$4.7 billion to the plan. [The Guardian]

Tumut Hydroelectric Power Station (Cmh, CC-BY-SA 3.0, cropped)

¶ “Developing Renewable Energy In Ukraine” • There are two principles that should guide efforts to rebuild Ukraine’s energy system: ensuring energy security and deepening the connection and economic relationship between Ukraine and the European Union. To accomplish both, Ukraine should develop its potential renewable energy resources. [SPE JPT]

¶ “Renewables To Overtake Coal As World’s Top Source Of Electricity, With Natural Gas To Endure, Says IEA” • Renewable sources of energy are collectively on track to eclipse coal as the world’s leading source of electricity, with growth forecast to nearly double in the next five years, the International Energy Agency said in a report. [Natural Gas Intelligence]

Wind turbines (Pixabay, Pexels)

US:

¶ “EPA Finalizes Tougher Pollution Standards For Large Vehicles Like Trucks And Buses” • The Biden administration finalized tougher pollution standards for large trucks, delivery vans and buses starting with model year 2027. It will cut down on the smog from heavy-duty trucks by requiring them to reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides by nearly 50% by 2045. [CNN]

¶ “USPS Fulfills Top Biden Climate Goal With Deployment Of 66,000 Electric Delivery Trucks” • The US Postal Service has announced it plans to deploy at least 66,000 electric delivery trucks by 2028, meeting a key goal for the Biden administration’s climate agenda. By 2026, the USPS plans to buy zero-emissions delivery trucks almost exclusively. [CNN]

Electric postal delivery truck (USPS image)

¶ “Crunch Time For Colorado River As Federal Government Ponders Mandatory Cuts” • According to the Washington Post, state and federal authorities say that years of overconsumption of water are colliding with the stark realities of climate change. They may create a “complete doomsday scenario” for the Colorado River. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Putting The RICO In Puerto Rico” • Sixteen communities in Puerto Rico filed a lawsuit against ExxonMobil, Shell, Conoco, Chevron, Occidental, and other oil and coal companies. It claims, among other things, that they are no different than mobsters, so they are subject to the provisions of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. [CleanTechnica]

Puerto Rico National Guard (National Guard, CC BY 2.0)

¶ “Stellantis Strikes Big Solar Energy Deal In Michigan” • In an effort to go green without on-site renewables, Stellantis and DTE Energy have committed to adding 400 MW of new solar projects in Michigan. This will be enough clean energy to power annual needs of 130,000 homes and avoid over 670,000 metric tons of CO₂ emissions annually. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “US Nuclear Energy Chief Details Plans To Find Disposal Site For Spent Connecticut Nuclear Waste” • The top US nuclear energy regulator assured local industry and government that her office has reinvigorated its search for a storage solution for spent nuclear fuel, a daunting issue that threatens country’s near term energy goals. [Hartford Courant]

Have a majestically useful day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “Trees Store ‘Twice As Much Carbon’ As Once Thought” • A study weighed individual trees using a 3D scanning technique, so their mass could be understood without cutting them down. It revealed that UK forests store twice as much carbon as previously estimated. It provides an accurate estimate of the carbon value of forests across the UK. [BBC] (This is hard to believe. GHH)

Tree (niko photos, Unsplash)

World:

¶ “EU Agrees To The World’s Largest Carbon Border Tax” • EU governments reached a deal on the world’s first major carbon border tax, in an overhaul of the bloc’s carbon market. They aim to have a carbon-neutral economy by 2050. The measure will apply first to iron and steel, cement, aluminum, fertilizers, electricity production, and hydrogen. [CNN]

¶ “More Than 190 Countries Sign Landmark Agreement To Halt The Biodiversity Crisis” • An agreement with 23 targets aimed to halt the biodiversity crisis was reached at COP15 by more than 190 countries. It includes a pledge to protect 30% of land and oceans by 2030. Only 17% of land and 10% of oceans are currently considered protected. [CNN]

Flowers (Palle Knudsen, Unsplash)

¶ “Europe Finally Agrees To Cap Gas Prices” • Europe has agreed to a cap on natural gas prices, following months of debate over whether the measure will protect European households and businesses from extreme price spikes as temperatures plummet. It is planned to come into force as of February 15 of next year, with a set of rules to come into effect. [CNN]

¶ “Designwerk Unveils Megawatt Charging System For Electric Trucks” • Swiss-based Designwerk Technologies has announced a Megawatt Charging System for heavy duty trucks that can deliver up to 1 MW of power. The charging system will allow recharging up to 6 times faster than possible with the current fast charging standard for automobiles. [CleanTechnica]

Designwerk Megawatt Charging System (Courtesy of Designwerk)

¶ “Low Carbon To Build Two Romanian Onshore Wind Farms” • Low Carbon will build two onshore wind farms in Romania with a capacity of up to 600 MW. The two projects will share the same grid connection point. The sites will benefit from the region’s exceptional natural wind resources and flat terrain, as well as its energy interconnection. [reNews]

¶ “Restart Of Two French Nuclear Power Stations Pushed Back Until Summer” • Low nuclear power availability has been an issue for the French power system throughout this year as half of the country’s reactors were offline at one point in the fall due to repairs or maintenance. Now, dates for restarting two reactors have been pushed back by months. [Oil Price]

Golfech nuclear plant (Clicgauche, CC-BY-SA 3.0, cropped)

Australia:

¶ “Queensland’s Progress Towards A 100% EV Fleet” • Data from Energex and Ergon to September 2022 demonstrates progress being made in Queensland towards electrification of the vehicle fleet. There were 11,839 Battery EVs, 3,042 Plug-in Hybrids, and 1,084 electric motorcycles currently using Queensland’s roads, and the numbers are growing. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “WaterNSW Announces Hydro-Electric Plant Plans For Burrendong Dam In State’s Central West” • A once-dry lake stricken by drought is the proposed site for a big hydro-electric plant. The Phoenix Pumped Hydro station is in the planning stage and would be based at the Burrendong Dam, the largest dam in Central West New South Wales. [ABC]

Lake Burrendong (Shiftchange, public domain)

¶ “Danish Developer Acquires 3.6-GW Australian Project” • European Energy has acquired a majority stake in Australia-headquartered energy company Austrom Hydrogen with the intention of accelerating the formal development and grid connection processes for the proposed 3.6 GW Pacific Solar Hydrogen Project. [PV Magazine]

US:

¶ “Blue Bird Teams Up With Highland Electric Fleets To Provide Twelve Electric School Buses To Illinois School District” • The Hardin County Community Unit School District #1 in Illinois is getting set to upgrade twelve buses to an electric model, after Blue Bird Corporation and Highland Electric Fleets teamed up to offer electrified buses. [CleanTechnica]

Electric bus (Courtesy of Blue Bird)

¶ “Families Don’t Know About IRA Benefits – These Companies Want To Help” • A coalition has been formed to assist people in the US to avail themselves of the decarbonization advantages of the Inflation Reduction Act. They’re not businesses that usually compare notes, and they have very different clients. But they can make IRA benefits more personal. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Hyundai–Kia Suppliers Employing Kids … In USA” • A Reuters investigation found extensive child labor working here in the USA for auto manufacturers. They worked for four Alabama parts suppliers to Hyundai and Kia. The PR firm doing the hiring for all four suppliers said it did not hire anyone below legal age “to the best of our knowledge.” [CleanTechnica]

Kia Soul EV SK3 EV (Damian B Oh, CC-BY-SA 4.0, cropped)

¶ “Large Indiana Employers Asking Utilities For ‘Green Tariffs’” • Several of Indiana’s major employers want their utilities to make it easier for them to buy power from by wind and solar farms so they can move closer to their renewable energy goals. Cummins, Salesforce, and Roche joined with the cities of Indianapolis and Bloomington in the push. [USNews.com]

¶ “Palisades Nuclear Plant Owners Will Try Again To Reopen Michigan Plant” • After the US DOE denied its request for money to reopen the Palisades nuclear plant, the facility’s owner said it will try again. Holtec International announced that it will reapply for a grant from the Department of Energy’s $6 billion Civil Nuclear Credit Program. [Bridge Michigan]

Have an enviably convivial day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Think Climate Change Is Scary? Try Talking To Your Kids About It” • As an environmental reporter, I have written over and over about how the pollution we keep dumping into the air is hurting people, threatening ecosystems and endangering our future. But at home, I’ve struggled to explain this to my own daughters. [Yahoo News]

Talking with daughters (Josh Willink, Pexels)

World:

¶ “COP15: Summit On ‘Pact With Nature’ Enters Final Stretch” • With only hours left to secure a global agreement to stop the destruction of nature, delegates at COP15, the UN biodiversity summit in Montreal, are considering a new draft deal. There has been deep division over the strength of ambition and how to finance the plans. [BBC]

¶ “Canada’s Polar-Bear Capital Churchill Warms Too Fast For Bears” • As the polar bear becomes an icon of climate change, the bears’ plight in Churchill, Manitoba, embodies the inextricable link between preserving the natural world and fighting global warming. The polar-bear capital of the world is simply getting too warm for polar bears. [BBC]

Polar bear (Susi Miller, USFWS)

¶ “Toyota Is Shifting Its Electric Vehicle Plans To Become More Like Tesla” • Like many automakers in the EV market. Toyota is reportedly looking to shift its plans to become more like Tesla. The Japanese automaker is one of many hoping to reach Tesla’s level of profitability in the sector, and it’s now readying to unveil a new business model. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Ford To Unveil First MEB-Based Vehicle This Spring” • At a media event at the Ford Europe Design Center, Martin Sander, head of the Model E electric vehicle division at Ford, lifted a part of the shroud on a car and said, “Can’t wait for 2023 to arrive, when we will pull off the cover of our first electric passenger vehicle coming from Cologne.” [CleanTechnica]

Ford teaser (Courtesy of Ford)

¶ “ReNew Power Signs 150-MW Agreement With Microsoft” • ReNew Power, a leading renewable energy company, announced that it has signed a renewable energy agreement with Microsoft India, in one of the largest such deals in the country. ReNew will produce 150 MW of clean energy from a recently commissioned solar site near Bikaner. [SolarQuarter]

¶ “SSE Begins Work On Hydrogen Storage Cavern On Yorkshire Coast” • The energy company SSE has begun work to develop a cavern in east Yorkshire for storing hydrogen. The company aims to stockpile the renewable source of power for times when the freezing, windless conditions like those experienced in the last week happen again. [The Guardian]

East Yorkshire (Ian S, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

Australia:

¶ “Renewable Energy Production Hits New Record In SA, As Expert Predicts More Milestones To Fall Soon” • South Australia has been effectively powered by green energy for a week. From December 12 to 19, National Energy Market data shows wind and solar contributed on average 103.5% towards the state’s energy demand. One expert predicts more growth. [ABC]

¶ “Victoria’s Gippsland Coast To Become Australia’s First Offshore Windfarm Zone” • Gippsland’s coast in south Victoria will be home to the turbines of Australia’s first offshore windfarm zone, with the heavy winds of the Bass Strait offering plenty of wild weather to power Australian homes. The zone is expected to drive renewable industry investment. [The Guardian]

Offshore wind turbines (Fxp42, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “Could Queensland Export Sun And Wind To Japan?” • Exports of zero-emissions hydrogen, produced at a large green hydrogen project in the Gladstone Region in Central Queensland powered by renewable energy, are technically and commercially feasible, the Central Queensland Hydrogen Project Feasibility Study shows. [Australian Renewable Energy Agency]

US:

¶ “Agrivoltaics Goes Nuclear On California Prairie” • Interest in the emerging field of agrivoltaics has been exploding as farmers and researchers keep finding ways to combine solar panels with agricultural activity. Now, an agrivoltaic project in California is aimed at restoring native prairie at the site of a decommissioned nuclear power plant. [CleanTechnica]

Agrivoltaics and prairie restoration (Julia Fox, EPRI)

¶ “Michigan’s Clean Energy Transition Continues With Federal Laws, Utility Plans, State Political Shift” • The “2030 Report” examined progress for Michigan’s clean energy. It concluded that Whitmer’s MI Healthy Climate Plan would need to be bolder to collectively reduce emissions from the electricity generation, transportation, building and industrial sectors. [MiBiz]

¶ “NASA Cancels Climate Change Satellite” • NASA has canceled the GeoCarb mission, a collaboration with the University of Oklahoma and Lockheed Martin intended to put a greenhouse gas–monitoring satellite orbit. GeoCarb would have measured levels of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and methane in the atmosphere. [Space.com]

Have a fascinatingly fulfilling day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “Satellite Will Measure Most Water On The Planet” • The first mission to survey nearly all of the water on Earth has launched. It is a joint effort of NASA and the French space agency Centre National d’Études Spatiales. It will survey water on more than 90% of the world’s surface, measuring the height of water in fresh and ocean water. [CNN]

Surface Water and Ocean Topography satellite (CNES)

¶ “Winter Storms Are Back, And Scientists Say Climate Change Is Making Them A Lot Worse” • One big question for policymakers and the public is how much of our horrid winter weather can be definitively attributed to global warming. Climatologists say that it’s not merely a coincidence that storms seem so bad this year. Climate change is making them worse. [Salon]

World:

¶ “The Amazon Reef That May Be Threatened By Oil Drilling” • Scientists say a unique reef habitat near the mouth of the Amazon river is under threat from plans to drill for oil. The Amazon reef is not well known because it lies in deep water, and is sometimes hidden by the muddy waters flowing into the sea from the world’s largest river. [BBC]

Research ship RV Atlantis (Nsandel, public domain)

¶ “Russia Whiffs On Baltic Green Hydrogen Opportunity” • The EU has been scrambling to untangle itself from Russian gas, and the latest development is big. Six Baltic states are collaborating on a project called the Nordic-Baltic Hydrogen Corridor. If all goes according to plan, they will tap the Baltic sea for wind power to generate green hydrogen. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “China EV Exports Surge” • China has had ambitious plans to dominate the world auto industry through EV manufacturing. A recent Bloomberg report says it looks like China’s ambitions are being realised. And a top EV exporter from China is none other than American firm Tesla. It will export more than 200,000 EVs from China this year. [CleanTechnica]

Tesla showroom (Courtesy of Tesla China)

¶ “Power To The People: The Neighbours Turning Their London Street Into A Solar Power Station” • Lynmouth Road appears to be an unremarkable part of London largely made up of redbrick Victorian terraces. There are similar streets all through London. But Dan Edelstyn and Hilary Powell are working to make the road into a power station. [The Guardian]

¶ “Russia Starts Building ‘Protective Dome’ At Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant” • Russia is installing a “protective dome” over the nuclear waste storage at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, an official said. The plant has been under Russian control since March, and there have been fears of a nuclear catastrophe amid reports of shelling in the area. [Anadolu Agency]

Chernobyl sarcophagus in 2005 (IAEA Imagebank, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

Australia:

¶ “Forward Power Pricing Drops In Australia In Response To Government Action” • Legislation for a gas price cap passed in the Australian parliament. The action had immediate effect on forward power pricing. The average Australian household was expecting a 36% increase in power bills in 2023–2024, but now it should hold to 13%. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Solar Citizens Electric Ute Roadshow” • An LDV et60, one of Australia’s first electric utes (pickups) will embark on a road trip in rural and regional Victoria and New South Wales in February and March 2023, and through Queensland, after Easter. It is on a campaign to take the EV transition beyond the capital cities of the Australian states. [CleanTechnica]

The eT60 (Courtesy of LDV Automotive)

¶ “Australia’s Largest Electric Bus Depot Is Fully Commissioned And Operational” • Zenobe, a specialist in EV fleet and battery storage, working with Transgrid and Transit Systems, finished construction of Australia’s largest electrified bus depot. Now, it is fully commissioned and operational, providing a blueprint for the future of clean transport. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Australia Vulnerable To Power Bill Shocks Until We Break Gas Habit” • Power bill shocks will remain a threat unless Australia quickly ramps up renewables to decouple from global coal and gas markets, said Daniel Westerman, CEO of the Australian Energy Market Operator. He said wind and solar power can protect against future shocks. [The Age]

Wind turbines (Anna Jiménez Calaf, Unsplash)

US:

¶ “Recent Rain And Snow Brought Some Relief To California’s Historic Drought. It’s Still Not Enough” • In the past three years California residents have gone through back-to-back historically dry years that triggered unprecedented water shortages and landscape-altering wildfires. Now, a barrage of rain and snow have brought a tiny glimpse of hope [CNN]

¶ “Amazon Investing In Climate Innovation And Equity” • Amazon is teaming up with the US Agency for International Development to work on addressing gender inequity in the arean of climate finance as it relates to women. The partnership will work on supporting and funding female entrepreneurs focused on climate change innovation. [CleanTechnica]

Woman to innovate (Amazon image)

¶ “Third Largest Tesla Shareholder Suggests Elon Musk Should Step Aside As CEO” • Shares of Tesla are down 55% year to date and the stock has erased about $225 billion in market value since Musk closed his deal to buy Twitter in late October, according to Markets Insider. That has Tesla’s third largest shareholder, KoGuan Leo, disgusted with Elon Musk. [CleanTechnica]
***** Call for Help (Courtesy of Tesla Hunger Strike)

¶ “USDA Accepts Applications For Rural Energy For America Program” • The US Department of Agriculture is making $300 million available under the Rural Energy for America Program to support energy-efficiency projects for people who live in rural America. This funding includes $250 million provided by the Inflation Reduction Act. [DRGNews]

Have a certifiably charming day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Review Of The Zendure SuperBase 2000 Pro, The Fastest Solar Power Station” • Whether you are looking for a solar charging station in particular or a general portable power supply to run power tools in the field, power your campsite, or provide backup for your home in a power outage, the Zendure SuperBase 2000 Pro is a good choice. [CleanTechnica]

Cat with a computer (Zendure image)

Science and Technology:

¶ “Scientists Enhance Stability Of Perovskites For Solar Cells” • New materials that can both harvest and emit light offer exciting potential for technologies that range from solar cells to TV and display screens. Researchers have developed a way of enhancing the stability and performance of perovskites, a particular type of these materials. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “Virgin To Fly ‘Net-Zero’ Transatlantic Boeing 787” • Virgin Atlantic plans to operate a Boeing 787 from London to New York, powered solely by waste oils and fats, a move hailed as a step toward reducing aviation’s significant environmental impact. Billed as the “world’s first” net zero transatlantic flight, the aircraft will hit the skies in 2023. [CNN]

Boeing 787 (Etienne Jong, Unsplash)

¶ “The World Is Burning More Coal Than Ever Before, New Report Shows” • The global energy crisis caused by Russia’s war on Ukraine has pushed global demand for coal to a record high in 2022, the International Energy Agency said. The growth is mostly down to a rapid rise in the prices of natural gas. Coal is the most polluting fossil fuel. [CNN]

¶ “BYD May Lead In EV Deliveries And Tesla Will Pass Toyota” • While BYD could threaten Tesla’s crown for the world’s largest EV maker, some argue that another metric matters far more. Analysts predict Tesla’s operating profit will surpass global leader Toyota’s. This could represent another industry-wide disruption from the US automaker. [CleanTechnica]

New Tesla Roadster (Tesla Fans Schweiz, Unsplash)

¶ “Europe’s Biggest Bank To Stop Funding New Oil And Gas” • After years of pressure, Europe’s largest bank says it will stop funding new oil and gas projects. London-based HSBC’s new policy bars new lending to projects “pertaining to new oil and gas fields and related infrastructure.” The bank will offer service  to customers with certain emissions goals. [Grist]

¶ “Eight Batteries To Be Built Around Australia To Increase Renewable Energy Storage Capacity” • Eight large batteries to store renewable energy will be built to support the Australian grid and help keep energy prices down, the federal government said. The Australian Renewable Energy Agency would provide $176 million in funding. [The Guardian]

Transmission lines (Brett Sayles, Pexels)

¶ “Renewables Provide 46.9% Of Electricity Used In Germany In 2022” • Renewable energy accounted for 46.9% of German power consumption 2022, up 4.9 percentage points from a year earlier thanks to favourable weather conditions, industry groups said. Both higher sunshine intensity and wind speeds were behind the trend. [Successful Farming]

¶ “Egypt’s New Energy Projects To Add 55 GW To Renewable Energy” • According to Egypt’s top renewable energy official, Egypt will soon be a major global energy hub. The country signed several projects in November that would add almost 55 GW to its existing solar and winds power capacity. The projects are to produce green hydrogen, [SolarQuarter]

Wind farm in Egypt (Hatem Moushir, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “Austrian Parliament Opposes Czech Plan For Small Nuclear Reactors At Temelín” • Austria’s lower house of parliament unanimously passed a resolution rejecting Czechia’s plans to build small modular reactors, according to the APA news agency. Austria has been calling on Europe to abandon nuclear power since 2012. [Expats.cz]

US:

¶ “Apple Pushing For Deeper Decarbonization” • Amazon and Apple have announced more efforts toward climate stabilization, equity and inclusion, and deeper decarbonization in the past month and a half. The tech giants have plenty to clean up, but they’ve also been leaders in the adoption of clean renewable energy. [CleanTechnica]

Kenyan farmers benefitting from Apple (Courtesy of Apple)

¶ “Tesla Gigafactory In Texas Now Producing 3,000 Model Y EVs Per Week” • Tesla Gigafactory Texas has reached a production rate of 3,000 Model Y EVs per week. That’s 156,000 Model Y crossovers or SUVs per year from this new factory, but expect the number to keep climbing quickly and end well above that rate a year from now. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Siemens And EverCharge Announce New US EV Charger Factories” • More companies are setting up to make EV chargers in the US, due to incentives provided in the Inflation Reduction Act. Siemens and EverCharge have announced they are building factories in America to make chargers that qualify for the “Made In America” incentives. [CleanTechnica]

EVs Charging (EverCharge image)

¶ “Meta Turns To The Sun To Power Data Centers In Tennessee And Georgia” • Silicon Valley-based tech giant Meta Platforms, Inc, formerly Facebook, said it will purchase 720 MW of clean electricity from seven solar farms being built in Tennessee and Georgia to use 100% renewable power for all of its operations in the region. [Chattanooga Times Free Press]

¶ “Connecticut Makes Climate Change Studies Compulsory” • Starting next July, Connecticut will mandate climate change studies across its public schools as part of its science curriculum. New Jersey had enacted a similar mandate in 2020, to become the first state to require K-12 climate change education across its school districts. [The Guardian]

Have a soundly planned day.

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Opinion:

¶ “The Top 12 Climate Developments Of 2022” • The past year might unfortunately be remembered as the year that Russia invaded Ukraine – or for some of its strange events. But 2022 should also be celebrated for amazing climate developments that will make a difference for years to come. Here we list our top 12, in no particular order. [CleanTechnica]

The ozone layer (Image courtesy of NASA)

¶ “The World Should Be 100% Powered By Renewable Energy Before Nuclear Fusion Is Commercially Competitive” • The US Department of Energy announced big nuclear fusion news this week. It’s a thrill that US scientists could produce net-positive fusion energy for a moment. It’s also important to view some broader clean energy context. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Crazy Power Wars Down Under” • The Australian federal parliament recalled to pass energy legislation, gas companies threatening to withhold supply, massive war profits, breakdowns at coal-fired power stations, government legislating a price cap, utilities jockeying for EV charging business – crazy power wars are normal now down under. [CleanTechnica]

Normal – Sydney opera house (Srikant Sahoo, Unsplash)

Science and Technology:

¶ “Whales Can Have An Important But Overlooked Role In Tackling The Climate Crisis, Researchers Say” • The world’s largest whales are more than just astonishing creatures. Much like the ocean, soil, and forests, whales can help save humanity from the climate crisis by sequestering planet-heating carbon emissions, researchers say. [CNN]

World:

¶ “Tokyo Will Require New Homes Built From 2025 To Have Solar Panels” • A regulation passed by Tokyo’s local assembly says houses built in the Japanese capital by large homebuilders after April 2025 must all have solar PV panels installed to reduce household carbon emissions. The action responds to both the climate crisis and the energy crisis. [CNN]

Tokyo (Takashi Miyazaki, Unsplash)

¶ “Australia Passes Law To Cap Energy Prices Against ‘Wartime Whims’” • Australians are facing a surge in utility bills this year, despite living in a top coal and natural gas producing nation. So the Australian parliament passed a law capping its domestic gas price and some states’ coal prices to protect consumers from the “wartime whims” of the world. [CNN]

¶ “VW ID Buzz Gets 5 Stars From Euro NCAP” • “The European test organisation Euro NCAP has announced its latest vehicle safety test results. With the ID Buzz, a new Volkswagen model has also been awarded a ‘very good’ rating and received the best possible score of five stars,” Volkswagen shares. The ID Buzz got a score of 92% overall. [CleanTechnica]

VW ID Buzz (Wikisympathisant, CC-BY-SA 4.0, cropped)

¶ “Vietnam, G7 Nations Reach $15.5 Billion Agreement To Quit Coal, Expand Renewable Energy” • Nine wealthy, developed nations will help Vietnam accelerate its transition from coal to renewable energy under a $15.5 billion agreement, which is intended to help Vietnam peak its greenhouse gas pollution in 2030 instead of 2035. [EcoWatch]

¶ “Electricity Generated By Burning Native Australian Timber No Longer Classified As Renewable Energy” • Electricity made by burning native forest wood waste will no longer be classified as renewable energy under a regulatory change made by Australia’s Labor government. The decision reverses a 2015 rule by Abbott’s Liberal-National government. [The Guardian]

Australian forest (Knödelbaum, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “UN Nuclear Watchdog To Visit Tehran As Iran Enriches Uranium At Its Highest Level Ever” • At the invitation of Iran, the UN‘s nuclear watchdog will send a delegation to the Iranian capital of Tehran on December 18 to clarify some outstanding ‘safeguards’ issues, linked to nuclear particles discovered at Iranian nuclear sites. [CNBC]

US:

¶ “California Regulators Approve Plan For Carbon Neutrality By 2045” • The California Air Resources Board approved a plan to reach carbon neutrality by 2045, in line with legislation signed by Governor Gavin Newsom earlier this year. It is to move one of the largest economies in the world to renewable energy and away from fossil fuels. [CNN]

Los Angeles (Sterling Davis, Unsplash)

¶ “California pulls the plug on rooftop solar” • The Public Utilities Commission approved Net Energy Metering 3.0, reducing payments for sending rooftop solar production to the grid. New rooftop solar projects are considered uneconomical without an attached battery. Adding batteries still allows a fair return on investment. [pv magazine USA]

¶ “Redwood Materials Will Build New Battery Recycling Facility In South Carolina” • South Carolina is getting to be a focal point of the EV revolution. Hyundai is building a $5 billion factory to make EVs in the state. BMW and Volvo have factories. Redwood Materials announced it will start construction of a $3.2 billion battery recycling facility. [CleanTechnica]

Artist’s concept of factory (Courtesy of Redwood Materials)

¶ “Power Cuts In Seven States As Deadly Winter Storm And Tornadoes Hit US” • A winter storm has left a trail of destruction in the southern US, devastating communities and killing three people in Louisiana. The weather has also left tens of thousands without power in six states. Several east coast states are forecast to be hit by snow and freezing rain. [BBC]

¶ “Solar Plant To Help Power Nevada’s Gold Mines” • More than 400,000 solar panels will provide energy to Nevada Gold Mines operations in northeastern Nevada, reducing the company’s carbon footprint. The project is part of a much wider effort by Barrick Gold Corp to reduce emissions 30% by 2030 and become carbon-neutral by 2050. [Elko Daily Free Press]

Have an unusually cheerful day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “How The Climate Crisis May Be Changing The Way That Tornadoes Behave” • Unlike heat waves, floods and hurricanes, scientific research about the connection between the climate crisis and tornadoes has not been as easy to do. Nevertheless, experts are already seeing certain changes in how recent tornado outbreaks are behaving. [CNN]

Tornado (Nikolas Noonan, Unsplash)

World:

¶ “UK Government Eyes Ban On Single-Use Plastic Plates And Cutlery” • Single-use plastic cutlery, plates, and other items are to be banned in the UK and replaced by biodegradable items as the government seeks to tackle the growing problem of plastic waste. 1.1 billion single-use plates and 4.25 billion items of single-use cutlery are used in England each year. [CNN]

¶ “Hungary’s Risky Bet On Russia’s Nuclear Power” • Despite the Hungarian government’s unswerving commitment to the Paks 2 project and the Russian commitment to supply the finance and technology, the Russian war in Ukraine makes the nuclear power station less likely by the day. Critics say it makes Hungary more dependent on Russia as a source of fuel. [BBC]

Paks nuclear plant in 2010 (Barna Rovács, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “Global Solar Installs Erupt As Polysilicon Price Peaks” • The latest Rethink Energy report says that global solar installations are on track for 222 GW for 2022, and manufacturing output data shows that next year this will rise by even more. This demonstrates that the solar industry has shaken off the drag of high polysilicon pricing.” [CleanTechnica]

¶ “At $7400, Honda’s Upcoming Electric N-Van Mini Van Can Be A Game-Changer In Japan’s Kei Car Segment” • Honda has set the starting price of the electric N-Van in Japan at ¥1,000,000 ($7,400), with the launch planned for the spring of 2024. Small city cars, which are highway-capable, known as Kei cars, are a big deal in Japan. [CleanTechnica]

Honda Electric N-Van (Honda image)

¶ “World To Expand Renewable Energy Capacity By 75% By 2027, Says IEA” • The International Energy Agency says the world will deploy as much renewable energy in the next five years as it did over the last two decades. Installed capacity of solar, wind, and other renewable energy sources is expected to grow by about 2,400 GW through 2027. [pv magazine Australia]

¶ “GE Renewable Energy Installs First Turbines At 1.2-GW China Pumped Hydro Plant” • The hydropower subsidiary of General Electric’s renewables business has installed the first pair of 300-MW turbines at a pumped hydro storage site in Jinzhai County, Anhui Province, China. The company is to supply to more of the same turbines at the site. [Energy Storage News]

GE Hydro Solutions turbines installed (GE Renewable Energy)

¶ “Uzbekistan projects receive $520 million in financing” • The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development arranged two syndicated loans to help build and commission two wind plants in Uzbekistan. Their combined capacity is to be 1 GW. The $520 million of financing is the EBRD’s largest renewable energy project in the region. [reNews]

US:

¶ “Winter Storm Barrels East With Millions Under Weather Warnings” • A powerful winter storm is moving east across the US, bringing blizzard-like conditions to the Midwest. Roads and schools have been closed and some areas are reporting 4 feet (1.2 meters) of snow. The storm has spawned tornadoes in the South, and at least three people have died. [BBC]

Snowy road (Patino Jhon, Unsplash)

¶ “Record Year for EV Battery Supply Chains” • Over a quarter of a million EVs have been sold in the US so far in 2022. Consumer preferences and policies are driving historic demand for clean cars. With demand for EVs comes demand for batteries to power them. Supply chains for EV batteries are relatively new and rapidly evolving. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Volkswagen Plans To Manufacture More Vehicles In The US” • In an interview with Handelsblatt, Pablo Di Si, the new head of Volkswagen for North America, said Volkswagen Group plans to introduce 25 electric vehicle models to the American market by 2030 in order to increase its market share from a fairly dismal 4% to 8% or more. [CleanTechnica]

Volkswagen Atlas (Courtesy of Volkswagen)

¶ “$2.5 Billion Loan From DOE To Ultium Cells – Three Battery Cell Factories, 11,000 Jobs” • The US DOE announced closing a $2.5 billion loan to Ultium Cells to help finance construction of lithium-ion battery cell manufacturing plants in Ohio, Michigan, and Tennessee. Ultium Cells, a joint venture of General Motors and LG Energy Solution. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Orano Completes Dismantling Vermont Yankee’s Reactor Core” • In less than four years, the Orano group, based in France, completed cutting up and packaging the vessel and internal components of the boiling water reactor at the Vermont Yankee nuclear power station in Vernon. Vermont Yankee went offline in December 2014. [Vermont Business Magazine]

Vermont Yankee (NRC image)

¶ “Keystone Pipeline – Updates On Its Largest Leak Ever” • The US and Canada are collaborating to clean up oil from the largest US crude spill in nearly a decade. Roughly 14,000 barrels of Keystone Pipeline crude tar sands oil spewed into a northern Kansas creek that’s part of a watershed providing drinking water for 800,000 people. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Nuclear Watchdog Group Raises Concerns Over Concrete Cracks At Seabrook Plant” • The nuclear watchdog group C-10 Research and Education Foundation has petitioned the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to take more steps to ensure the safety of cracks in cement at the Seabrook plant. The plant is operated by NextEra Energy Resources. [WMUR]

Have a grandly congenial day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Nuclear Power Is Just A Slow And Expensive Distraction” • The British and French governments can sign any deal they like, but if key financial investors don’t take up 60% of construction costs, the planned Sizewell C plant is going nowhere. The omens aren’t good for that. Solar and onshore wind power can be developed at about a quarter of the cost. [New Statesman]

Nuclear power plant (Petar Avramoski, Pexels)

¶ “CEO Of LG Chem Talks About The Challenges Posed By The Inflation Reduction Act” • In a recent interview with Bloomberg that was shared with CleanTechnica via e-mail, Shin Hak-Cheol, CEO of LG Chem, spoke about the challenges the South Korean company is facing as it tries to come to terms with the Inflation Reduction Act signed into law this year. [CleanTechnica]

Science and Technology:

¶ “Counterintuitive: Large Wild Herbivores May Help Slow Climate Change” • In the battle to combat climate change, large herbivores like elephants – ambling about, stripping branches, chomping on tree seedlings or even uprooting full-grown trees – appear to be the enemy. But a paper published in the journal Current Biology begs to differ. [Mongabay]

Deer in Wyoming (nacho_c via Flickr, CC BY-NC 2.0)

¶ “StoreDot Fast Charging Technology Validated In Independent Testing” • StoreDot, a battery manufacturing company based in Israel, announced that its fast charging claims were validated by an independent testing laboratory. The new StoreDot batteries  can be recharged more quickly than other batteries that are commercially available. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “Tesla Sold Over 100,000 Shanghai-Built EVs In November” • The Chinese auto market slumped in November, with an overall drop in sales across the market. Nevertheless, Tesla Gigafactory Shanghai posted record numbers during the same month. Some say the news shows Tesla’s electric vehicle dominance in the world’s largest auto market. [CleanTechnica]

Tesla (Makara Heng, Pexels)

¶ “Converted Electric Semi Trucks Are Getting More And More Popular” • With 140 confirmed orders, Janus Electric is rolling to success. Its order book is full with Macks, Volvos, Kenworths, and Freightliners queuing up for conversion from diesel to battery electric. These trucks have similar chassis width, so Janus can use one design for batteries and drivetrains. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Taiwan Awards 8.7 GW Of Capacity In Round 3” • Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs has awarded tenders to more than 8700 MW of offshore wind farms in the country. Among those who entered bids, total of six developers and ten projects have qualified for the first round selection for the Phase III Zonal Development auction. [reNews]

Wind turbine (Siemens Gamesa image)

¶ “Siemens Gamesa And Capital Energy Sign New Contract For A 52-MW Wind Power Plant In Spain” • Siemens Gamesa and renewable energy developer Capital Energy strengthened their relationship following a new agreement for the installation of a 52-MW wind project in the province of Albacete, in the southeast of Spain. [Siemens Gamesa]

¶ “Concerns Raised Over UK Electricity Network” • Six trade bodies representing the UK energy sector, including Regen and the Electricity Storage Network, wrote the UK Energy Secretary Grant Schapps asking for leadership to address constraints on the electricity network. Energy projects are facing delays of up to fifteen years due to capacity constraints. [reNews]

Transmission lines (National Grid image)

¶ “AMEA Power Awarded Through Competitive Bidding 120-MW Solar Project In South Africa” • AMEA Power said it has been awarded a 120-MW PV project in South Africa under the Sixth Bid Submission Phase of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Program. The Doornhoek project will sell electricity Eskom. [PV Magazine]

¶ “IAEA Missions To Be Dispatched To All Ukraine’s Nuclear Power Plants” • Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said an agreement on moving heavy weapons from the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant is still being worked out, but they said a decision had been made to send IAEA teams to all Ukrainian nuclear power plants. [Radio Free Europe]

Nuclear power plant (Victor Korniyenko, CC-BY-SA 3.0, cropped)

US:

¶ “US Battery Storage Growth To Boom Through 2025” • US Developers and power plant owners plan to significantly increase utility-scale battery storage capacity in the country over the next three years, reaching 30 GW by the end of 2025, according to the latest Preliminary Monthly Electric Generator Inventory, which was published by the DOE. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Wyoming Nuclear Plant Delayed, Tentative Start Date Pushed To 2030” • The advanced nuclear reactor proposed for Wyoming will likely be delayed at least two years, its developer announced. Fuel can’t be imported from Russia, the only source of the highly enriched fuel the plant requires, so TerraPower must wait for the US supply chain to catch up. [Casper Star-Tribune]

Kemmerer, Wyoming (Kenneth Hynek, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “Colorado School Of Mines Is Big On Solar” • Every time the Orediggers’ Division II title contenders took the field this fall, they were surrounded by buildings and parking lots with newly installed solar panel arrays aimed at making the school’s campus far more self-sufficient in energy use. The campus has 8 MW of solar capacity. [The Colorado Sun]

¶ “New Jersey’s Last Operating Coal Plant Imploded” • A former coal-fired generating plant in New Jersey has been imploded. Starwood Energy demolished the former Logan Generating Plant and announced plans for a $1 billion venture on the site, where batteries will be deployed to store power from renewable energy sources. [Power Engineering]

Have a gorgeously composed day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “Nuclear Fusion: How Long Until This Breakthrough Discovery Can Power Your House” • The deuterium in a glass of water, with a little tritium, could power a house for a year, with practically no waste. But it could be decades before fusion is able to produce large amounts of energy, and scientists are on a race against the clock to fight climate change. [CNN]

NIF target chamber (Damien Jemison, LLNL)

World:

¶ “BYD Atto 3 Gets 10,000 Orders In Thailand In One Month” • News coming out of Thailand is that in just one month, 10,000 Atto 3s have been ordered and that new orders have been paused for a little bit in order avoid excessive customer lead times. The price of the Standard Range Atto 3 starts from the equivalent of $31,500 in Thailand. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Forty Tesla Megapacks Replace 70-Year-Old Generating Plant In Belgium” • The Tesla Megapack is bringing changes to the utility grid in the Belgian city of Lessines, which has depended on a gas-fired turbine for its electricity for 70 years. The plant was built in six months. It provides frequency regulation on the Belgian electricity network. [CleanTechnica]

Battery installation (Courtesy of Corsica Sole)

¶ “Fields Of Green Returning To Columboola” • The Chinchilla-Dulacca area of Queensland’s Darling Downs was once a sea of undulating green fields. Then came the coal mines, gas fracking, and polarization with the “Coal for Breakfast” and “Lock the Gate” campaigns. Now the area has turned to renewable energy, and green fields can return. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Denmark’s Potential Role In Nordic Hyperloop Solutions” • Hyperloop serves relatively small autonomous vehicles (called pods) that move in an almost airless tube on a magnetic track at high speed – up to 1,000 km/h (620 mph). Without air or track friction, it is very efficient. A hyperloop is being proposed for Denmark. [CleanTechnica]

Hyperloop (Image courtesy of TransPod)

¶ “Djibouti Inks Deal To Deploy 10 GW Of Renewables And Green Hydrogen” • Djibouti’s Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources has entered into an agreement with a renewable energy company, CWP Global, to develop 10 GW of renewable energy and green hydrogen capacity to meet the country’s energy demand. [Energy Capital & Power]

¶ “Renewable Energy Jobs Growing Four Times Faster Than Rest Of UK Market” • The number of jobs being created in the renewable energy industry is growing four times faster than the overall UK employment market, it has emerged. The number of green jobs advertised almost trebled in the last year, to 336,000 roles, altogether. [The Guardian]

Wind turbines (Irina Iriser, Unsplash)

¶ “H&M Signs Sweden’s Largest Renewable Power Deal” • Neoen and Swedish solar developer Alight have signed a power purchase agreement with Swedish fashion retailer H&M Group. The deal, which is for 90 MW of solar, is the largest solar PPA contracted in Sweden to date, Neoen and Alight stated. Commissioning is to take place in 2025. [reNews]

¶ “Germany Sets Renewable Power Record In 2022, But Is Off-Track For 2030 Target” • Germany is set to produce a record 256 TWh of electricity from renewable sources this year, but that is insufficient to put it on track to its 2030 targets, the Federal Environment Agency said. The goal for 2030 is 600 TWh, 80% of German demand. [Renew Economy]

Rooftop PV in Frankfurt (From BSW Solar)

¶ “Macron Says Talks Are Ongoing To Remove Heavy Weapons From Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Site” • French President Emmanuel Macron said that an agreement had been reached on removing heavy weapons from Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant and that talks were under way on the necessary procedures. [Radio Free Europe]

¶ “France Requests Emergency Cut In Electricity Exports To UK As Nuclear Crisis Deepens” • RTE asked the National Grid if it could halve its scheduled exports through an interconnector to the UK for an hour, as it wrestled with a spike in demand. A combination of the cold weather, strikes, and delayed reactor maintenance prompted the request. [MSN]

Cooling towers (Lukáš Lehotský, Unsplash)

US:

¶ “US Winter Storm To Bring Blizzard, Tornadoes, And Floods” • A coast-to-coast storm is bringing heavy snowfall, strong winds, the threat of thunderstorms, and other extreme weather. Some western states, including Montana, Wyoming and South Dakota, are expecting up to two feet (60 cm) of snow. Some states in the south, could face a tornado outbreak. [BBC]

¶ “US Forest Service Aims For Fleet Of 17,000 Battery-Electric Vehicles And Is Piloting Ford F-150 Lightning” • The US Forest Service is testing the Ford F-150 Lightning pickup as it begins to transition its 17,000 vehicles (fossil powered at the moment) to a rugged, sometimes off-road fleet of over 17,000 battery-electric vehicles. [CleanTechnica]

Ford F-150 Lightning (Courtesy of Ford)

¶ “Yotta Energy Speaks With CleanTechnica About New EV Chargers And A Microinverter” • Yotta Energy recently unveiled several products: commercial EV chargers, solar-powered EV charging stations, and a 3-phase commercial microinverter. The commercial EV chargers can be used with solar-plus-storage. Here is an iterview with the CEO. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Keystone Pipeline Dumped 14,000 Barrels Of Crude Oil Into A Kansas Stream” • About 14,000 barrels of crude oil escaped from the Keystone pipeline in northeast Kansas border last week. According to federal data, it is by far the largest oil spill from any pipeline in the past 9 years and the largest in the history of the Keystone pipeline. [CleanTechnica]

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